Centre for Policy on Ageing



Relationship between adherence to tradition and depression in Chinese elders in China
Author(s)	L A Mjelde-Mossey, I Chi, V W Q Lou
Journal title	Aging & Mental Health, vol 10, no 1, January 2006
Pages	pp 19-26
Source	http://www.tandfonline.com
Keywords	Social characteristics [elderly] ; Social change ; Depression ; Correlation ; China.
Annotation	In Chinese traditional culture, an older person's purpose, meaning and self-worth are derived, in the main, from their social roles within the family and the community. As the traditional culture declines, so do these familiar roles, supports and ways of coping. This constitutes a major loss, which can have a variety of psychosocial consequences, one of which could be depression. This study's sample of 1502 Chinese older people living in the People's Republic of China responded to a 9-item measure of traditional mutual aid and intergenerational exchange. Depression was measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D). Regression analysis found a significant and negative relationship between tradition and depression, which suggest that adherence to tradition may have protective benefits. These findings have application with older people in China as well as with those who are immigrants in other societies. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-060202249 A
Classmark	F: TMH: ENR: 49: 7DC
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.